Dean Forest Railway
The Dean Forest Railway is a 4¼-mile standard-gauge heritage railway in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, running from Lydney Junction (with a footbridge connection to Network Rail Lydney) through Norchard and Whitecroft to Parkend at the southern edge of the forest. The line is operated by the Dean Forest Railway Society on the trackbed of the former GWR / Severn & Wye Joint Railway mineral line.
The Society was formed in 1970 and the first preserved trains ran in 1991 over a short section near Norchard, with further extensions reopening Norchard to Lydney Junction (1995) and Norchard to Parkend (2006).
The headquarters is at Norchard, where the principal locomotive shed and museum are located. The line has a strong GWR atmosphere, with restored stations, semaphore signalling, and a fleet of GWR and BR(W) tank engines.
History
The Dean Forest Railway Society was formed in 1970 with the aim of preserving the closed Severn & Wye line in the Forest of Dean. After many years of fundraising the first preserved passenger services ran from Norchard in 1991. Extensions to Lydney Junction (1995) and to Parkend (2006) gave the line its present 4¼-mile route.
Original line history
The line was originally part of the GWR / Midland Railway-jointly-worked Severn & Wye Railway, opened from 1810 (as a horse tramway) and converted to a locomotive railway from 1869. It was an essentially mineral line carrying coal and stone from the Forest of Dean pits to the Severn ports. Passenger services ceased in 1929 with traffic restricted to summer specials. The line continued in freight use until the late 1970s; the last revenue freight ran in 1976 and final closure followed in 1980.
Stations and infrastructure
Lydney Junction connects (on foot) to the Network Rail Cardiff–Gloucester line. Norchard is the headquarters with engine shed, museum, and platforms. Whitecroft and Parkend are intermediate/terminus stations restored in GWR style.
Route and stations
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Special events and operations
Regular events include diesel galas, steam galas, real ale trains, themed events, and Santa Specials in December.
Visitor information
The line operates weekends and selected weekdays from spring to autumn. Norchard is signposted from the A48 north of Lydney.